Ditto
by watchmaker1331
Summary: Cyclopes and Storm discover a young mutant beneath a bridge and bring her to the Institute, saving her from hypothermia. When Professor Xavier discovers her powers, they turn out to be far greater than anyone has ever before encountered....
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Marvel characters, but I would like to claim Morgan and Argus. If you ask REAL nicely, I might let you use them. :D **

Prologue

A dark figure huddled under the bridge as the rain cascaded down into the river, pressed against a large dog for warmth. The rain pounded down deafeningly on the metal sides of the expansion bridge, blown almost sideways by the fierce winds that battered the city. New York could certainly be hell.

The figure was a young girl in her early teens, dressed in a pair of ragged jeans and a sweatshirt that was far too big. Her long smoky brown hair was let down across her neck for warmth; the wind howled through her bones as her hazel eyes gazed out at the sheets of rain that blurred the lines of the cityscape as they plummeted from the heavens. She scooted closer to the massive gray dog, the son of an Irish wolfhound and a wily stray. He whined quietly as she shivered against him; she was the only person in the world he cared about. She smiled slightly, ruffling his wiry fur. "It'll be alright, Argus, the storm'll be over soon," she murmured into the dog ear, stroking him lovingly with blue tinged fingers.

She yawned widely; it was ever so comfortable in the oversized sweatshirt. Even the cold was beginning to recede. Perhaps it was time to relax and wait for the storm to blow over; there certainly wasn't anything else to do. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she snuggled up against the massive dog for a good sleep. A sleep she would never wake up from, if someone didn't do something soon.

The curtain of water parted as two people walked under the bridge. A slim, white haired woman peered through the darkness as the winds played gently across her face. She pointed across the darkness for her companion. "There she is," Storm said, stepping across the muddy cement towards the girl, her wide cape billowing behind her as the winds whimpered for her return. Her companion followed her, scratching his face with a long finger. A laser focuser reeked havoc on delicate skin.

"Is she alive?" Cyclopes asked, catching up with Storm. The dog looked up and growled deep in the back of his throat. No human was going to touch his Girl if he had anything to say about it.

"Easy, boy," Storm said gently, reaching out a slim hand for the dog to sniff. A shot of electricity zapped him on the nose, making him leap back with a surprised bark. "Sorry," she said apologetically, rubbing her gloved hand. The great dog whimpered, his short tail firmly between his legs.

"Here, let me try," said Cyclopes, reaching out to the frightened canine. Argus sniffed it warily, then allowed the strange Man Who Smelled of Burning to stroke his head. Storm reached out to do the same, he shrank away. He wasn't quite ready to trust the Lady With Wind in Her Fingers. Storm frowned. "Don't worry, Storm, he'll get used to you in time. Come on, let's her back to Westchester. She's freezing!"

The girl stirred slightly as Cyclopes's fingers brushed her hand. "Well, she's not dead. Yet," he said grimly, rubbing her arms roughly to get the circulation going again.

"Here, let me," Storm said, conjuring the warmth of the sun to heat the girl's shivering body. "Come on, girl, wake up."

The girl stirred again, this time her eyes opening and staring wildly around. "Who…who are you?" she mumbled, her trembling lips struggling to form the words.

"We're friends," Storm said gently. "We aren't going to hurt you."

The girl nodded, murmured "Argus!" then collapsed back into Cyclopes's arms. "Alright, let's get her back to the Professor." He picked her up with a grunt; she was heavier than she looked. The dog barked angrily. Cyclopes raised an eyebrow. "This must be Argus." He sighed. "Well, come on then." The dog yipped happily as they led him back to the car, Storm keeping the rain at bay with a raised hand. He bounded over to the vehicle and proceeded to shake the muddy water from his pelt, splattering the black finish. "Don't…damn!" Cyclopes cried, laying the comatose girl across the back seat. Argus curled up next to her on the floor, knowing by the Man's Tone that he had done something Bad.

Storm laughed as Cyclopes groaned, sitting down in the driver's seat with a plunk. "Logan's gonna kill me. He just had this thing waxed."


	2. Chapter 1

When she came to, all she could she was gray. Was she going blind? Blinking, she decided that, no, she wasn't blind, the ceiling was simply very gray. She felt the smooth blanket between her fingers, the warm fabric slipping easily through her numb fingers. She grimaced as feeling returned to them, the tingling pain bringing her fully to consciousness.

"HeatSilk. Developed by NASA to treat people with advanced hypothermia," came a voice, startling her. She whipped her head to the side to locate the source of the voice. A man's bald head, just above her eye level. He smiled. "Good morning. I am Professor Charles Xavier. Welcome back to reality."

She struggled to sit up. Blurred memories of a white-haired woman and a man with glowing eyes vied for her attention, but she pushed them away in an attempt to gain her bearings. She was laying on a warm metal table, her outer clothes shucked for a t-shirt and underwear. Pulling the blanket, or HeatSilk, or whatever the strange man had called it, closer to herself, she gazed around the room with wide eyes. She should have woken up under the bridge. The only bridge this could possibly be was on the _Enterprise_.

"Where am I?" she asked, turning back to the bald man. Now she could see that he was in a wheelchair, albeit a considerably souped up one. Suddenly she was overcome by a sense of her own unimportance. "Sir," she added hastily.

He smiled. "You are in the basement of my School for Gifted Youngsters. This is the infirmary. You nearly died." He piloted his wheelchair around to the other side of the bed to examine the bank of screens, pulse readouts and various medical information spread-eagled across the terminal. "Your pulse has returned to normal. For a moment, we thought we had lost you," he said, pointing to a reading of the lowest pulse rate. Fourty-seven. So she nearly _had_ bought the farm. The Professor turned. "What is your name, child?"

Her expression of wonder tightened into one of suspicion. "Why should I tell you? You kidnapped me!"

He chuckled slightly. "Kidnapped you? From whom, my dear? Besides, I'll find out eventually." Suddenly, she felt a pressure on her mind, a quiet but persistent search for her name. She recoiled, wishing the man out of her mind. He blinked, looking up at her face, raising a thin eyebrow. "Impressive. Not many can keep me out of their minds."

"Who…What the hell are you?" she cried, shying away from the man in fear.

He sighed. "I…am a mutant." She gasped. "And so are you. A very powerful one, at that. I cannot tell the extent of your powers."

She frowned. "Yeah, I know." She turned away from him.

"What is your name? What can you do?" came his voice from behind her, gentle but insistent. "If I am to help you, I need to know."

She closed her eyes, a silent tear trickling down her face. "My name is Mimic."

She could feel his eyes burning into the back of her skull. She whirled around to face him. "That's what you wanted to know, isn't it? My _mutant_ name. Who gives a shit who I really am!"

He shrugged. "If that's all you're willing to give me."

She shook with fury. He was mocking her. Her eyes burned with anger at the little man in his wheelchair with his mind tricks. How dare he!

The Professor flew across the room, slamming against the wall. The girl screamed.

"What the hell is going on in here?" The door flew open with a bang, and a tall, well-muscled man with long sideburns entered the room. Two kids followed close behind, eyes widening when they saw the Professor sprawled on the ground. Rushing over, they eased the old man back into his wheelchair, as the tall man turned on the girl on the table. Long knives slid out of his hands like the talons of some great bird, flashing in the florescent light. Mimic shied away, clutching the blanket to herself and backing away across the table.

"It's alright, Logan," the Professor said soothingly, settling into his chair, a kid at each arm to steady him. "Thank you, children."

"She attacked you, Professor?" said the boy, turning to face the girl huddled on the table. She returned his angry glare with one so fearsome that he looked away. "Are you ok?"

"I assure you, I am in full health. Just a few bruises, Bobby, thank you," Xavier replied, brushing off his previously immaculate pin-stripe suit. "Bobby, Rogue, Logan, this is…"

"Morgan. Morgan Oleander," she muttered. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean…"

"All is forgiven," he replied. The big man, Logan, snorted. The Professor looked at him sharply. Logan cleared his throat and straightened, the knives retreating back into his hands.. Xavier shook his head, smiling. "Well, we've seen some of what you can do, obviously. Anything else?" The kids hovered closer to him protectively.

She snorted. "I can do anything."

"Anything?" he prompted. "Such as?"

"Anything," she repeated. "As long as I've seen it first. Like this," Morgan said, extending her hand from the blanket. Rogue and Bobby shrank back. "I'm not going to hurt you!" she said exasperatedly. They relaxed slightly, but only just. She frowned and rolled her eyes. Cracking her knuckles, she made a fist with one thin hand.Four long slivers of adamantium shot out like metallic claws, identical to Logan's in every detail. Gasps echoed around the room; three of surprise, and one of pain. Morgan gripped her wrist, lines of hurting etched in her face. She looked up at Logan. "Damn," she chuckled breathlessly. "You make it look so easy."

Logan gazed at them in awe, reached out to touch the blades almost identical to his own. Drawing his finger across the blade, he sliced his finger, letting out a blast of creative swearing, somehow involving Morgan's mother and some foreign sailors. She giggled nervously, but stopped when the cut healed over before her eyes. She eyed her own finger, considering. Then, before anyone could stop her, she reached out with her new claws and drew a thin red line across her palm. She grimaced as blood welled up from the wound for the briefest of moments, then skin engulfed it, healing more rapidly than Logan's had. She smiled. "See?"

Bobby let out a low whistle. "Anything you can do, I can do better," he muttered.

She looked at him. "What can you do?"

He grinned, placing his hand on the table. When he lifted it, a small oval of ice lay on the table, perfectly smooth. His smile widened, raising his eyebrow to her in challenge. She grinned back, cupping her hands together, eyes closed in concentration. When she opened them, a perfectly round orb of ice rested in her hands. She laid it down next to the oval. The icy oval was like looking through cloudy water; the sphere was like looking through glass. It was clear which mutant had won the little contest. Bobby shook his head, assenting. Smiling, Morgan looked up at Rogue expectantly.

"Rogue can't really…_show_ us her talent," the Professor said, patting the red-haired girl's gloved hand. "It's rather dangerous." Morgan nodded, extending a hand to Rogue, who took it reluctantly. "I'm Morgan."

Rogue smiled, her grip firming. "I'm Marie. Welcome to Mutant High."


	3. Chapter 2

Morgan checked out the infirmary that day, her new jeans and friends steering her directly to the kitchen. "Prof's orders," Bobby said, pulling her by the hand into the large room where the food was prepared. "Hey, Scott." A brown haired man with red sunglasses glanced up from the counter where he was having difficulty chopping vegetables.

"You!" Morgan exclaimed, shrinking back from the door, blood pounding in her ears.

"Me?" Scott replied looking bewildered. He raised an eyebrow over his glasses

"Then it was real! You, and the white-haired woman!" She glanced around in fear, as though Aurora might walk through one of the walls.Morgan looked back at him sharply, anger rising in her throat. "Where's my dog?"

"You have a dog?" Rogue asked, opening the fridge to grab three sodas. "I've always wanted a dog. Root beer?" But Morgan wasn't listening.

"He's fine, I promise, calm down," Scott replied, holding up his hands in surrender. "Aurora took him to the vet to get his shots. He shouldbe backany time now, I swear!"

Morgan continued to look unconvinced until a tall, well-dressed woman stepped in the door, leading a dejected Argus on a long red leash.He barked in happiness when Morgan's scent filled his nostrils, straining at the leash until Aurora finally gave up and let it go. He skidded across the tile and leapt up at Morgan, placing his paws on her shoulders and licking her face profusely. She accepted the dog's kissed, laughing and rubbing the big dog's ears in joy. She glanced over at Rogue and Bobby, who looked slightly horrified.

"He's…bigger than I imagined," Rogue offered, smiling nervously.

"And hairier," said Bobby bluntly, coming over to meet Argus, who bounded away playfully with a loud bark. Bobby laughed as Morganreached over and dragged himback by his new choke collar.

"Come on, bud, come meet Bobby and Rogue. Argus!" she exclaimed as the big dog growled in the back of his throat at Bobby, barring his teeth. Bobby jerked back in surprise, his ice blue eyes widening in fear.

"It's going to take him awhile to get used to all of the different mutations," Aurora said, putting down her purse and keys. "He doesn't take kindly to it. Just try again, Bobby."

Morgan calmed the great dog down until Bobby was able to reachout a handfor Argusto sniff. Argus eyed him warily, then licked the Boy Who Smelled of Cold's fingers gently, the Boy's touch cooling his tongue. Hewatched Bobby for a moment, then nudged his hand for petting. Bobby's face relaxed as he stroked the dog, scratching him under the chin. "Come 'ere, Rogue. He's harmless."

Rogue took a swig from her bottle of pop and came tentatively over to the dog, holding out a gloved hand for him to sniff. Argus took an immediate liking to the Girl With Strange Paws, leaping forward to lick her face excitedly. She jerked away instinctively; the dog's tongue was cool and wet. Argus leaned back in surprise, but showed no sign of being worse for wear when he touched her deadly skin. He panted happily as she patted him on the head.

Scott watched the interchange. Perhaps having the dog would turn out to be good for the kids. He looked up as Logan stormed ever so subtly into the room. He glared down at the party of students sprawled on the floor.

"Where'd that dog come from?" he asked, leaning over the kids to grab a bear out of the cabinet and handing it to Bobby. The boy chilled the bottle with a quick breath and handed it back. "Thanks," Logan said, taking a swig. "This your dog?"

"Yeah," Morgan replied, standing. "I'm gonna take him out, if that's ok."

"I'll go with you," said Rogue, Bobby, Logan all at once. Morgan raised an eyebrow, a sardonic smile crowding her small face.

"Thanks, but I can find my own way around. You guys finish your…beer," she said, grin widening, then scooped Argus's leash off the floor and headed for the door. "Come on, boy. See you guys later." She shut the door behind her, slightly more forcefully than necessary. Scott popped the top off of her abandoned root beer.

"She just needs time to adjust," Aurora said calmly to the hurt Bobby and Rogue, retrieving Scott's knife and slicing the rest of the vegetables with ease.

"All the same, I think someone should follow her. It isn't unusual for new kids to run off," Logan replied, eyeing pointedly at Rogue, who blushed. "I think I'll take a walk." He got to his feet, chugging the last of his Budweiser and grabbing two apples out of the basket. "See you guys later."


	4. Chapter 3

**I don't own Marvel characters...just Morgan, Argus, and this storyline. If youchange the names and republish it, I'll hurt you! Have a nice day!**

Logan followed the disappearing shape across the grounds from a distance, not wanting to disturb her. As Morgan's walk quickened, so did his. When she broke into a run, he loped along behind her. Logan tailed her all around the expansive grounds, keeping the twilight-lit shape of the girl and her dog just in sight. When she turned a corner around a large hedge, he followed. Her scent grew in his nostrils as he rounded the corner, so he wasn't exactly surprised to find her waiting there.

"Why are you following me?"

"Well you're straight up, are you?" he replied casually, taking a long pull from his Budweiser. He watched her out of the corner of his eye; she had been polite, now she would be crude.

"I asked you a question, monkey-ass."

He choked on his beer, suppressing a violent laugh. The attempt was futile, however, and soon snorting guffaws erupted from the large man, making Argus bark enthusiastically. Morgan yanked on his leash in anger, cutting off the yapping abruptly. Fury boiled behind her green-brown eyes. Logan wiped a tear from his cheek, struggling to bring himself under control. "That…that was creative," he said breathlessly. Morgan's stormy expression cleared for an instant, but almost immediately returned to its previous livid state. Logan sighed. Kids these days.

"I was worried you were gonna run off." Better to be blunt. People paid attention better that way.

Morgan snorted. "And where would I run to, exactly? Not back to my parents, that's for sure." She spoke with an uncaring voice, but Logan could tell that talk of her parents was shaky ground. He smiled slightly, trying to reassure her. Unfortunately, Logan's pointed-tooth grin only served to make him look more sinister. Argus backed up a step, growling.

Logan sighed.

"Why don't I show you something?"

Morgan's eyes darkened suspiciously. "Oh, c'mon, kid! I'm not going to drag you off into the forest and stuff you in a plastic bag, for Christ's sake!" Logan cried exasperatedly, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. A crooked smile cracked the girl's face.

"Alright, then. Show me, already!" she replied evenly. She tightened her hold on Argus's leash, just in case. She had learned the hard way about trusting people.

He lead her across the manicured lawns, past the garage that held the tools of the X-Men, past the basketball court, and past the training field where the mutant children were allowed to burn off their energy by developing their skills. Logan crossed the rose garden, Morgan and her canine companion close behind. Finally, he came to a stop at a large hedge. Morgan raised an eyebrow.

"You brought me all this way to see a shrubbery?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or is this leading to some sort of allegory? 'You know, this bush was once a small seed…'"

Logan shook his head. "Watch."

He reached into the hedge, his entire hand enveloped in the greenery. The soft _thunk_ of turning lock echoed in Morgan's ears; as she watched, Logan pushed on the hedge and it separated from its fellows. A hidden door.

Logan grinned when he saw the look of awe on her face. "I found this awhile ago, when I was wandering around one day. Someone else knows about it, too, cause the fish are always fed."

"Fish?" she inquired, peering into the secret garden, unsure whether or not the man was allowing her to intrude on his secret. A small pond sat in the center of the circle of bushes, a tiny waterfall trickling amiably down the rocks. Morgan listened to the soft jingling of the water cascading into the pool; if she hadn't known it was there, she never would have heard.

"Go on, then. No use standing here," Logan said gruffly, as though doubting his decision to let her in on the clandestine patch of beauty. She stepped in, Argus following her, sniffing the scent-laden air with his wet nose. A stone bench rested at the edge of the pond; she approached it and brushed some stray leaves off. Sitting down, she gazed into the depths of the pool. Several spectacular goldfish drifted lazily around the pool, their multi-colored scales glistening in the mild sunlight. Morgan watched the fish in fascination, tracing their idle patterns with her bright eyes. Logan came silently around and leaned his hands on the back of the bench, smiling at the girl's wonder.

"They're beautiful," she whispered, glancing up at Logan as if seeing him for the first time. Perhaps she was. Prying her eyes from his face, she gazed around at the rest of the hidden garden. Wild roses the color of pearls had threaded themselves into the shrubbery walls, dotting the green fence with bursts of color. Potted hibiscus trees with blooms the size of tea pots waved gently in the welcome August breeze as sparkling hummingbirds flitted from flower to flower. A strange red flower that smelled of fresh fruit salad flourished along the edge of the fish pond. White water lilies floated serenely above the goldfish in the clear water. A slim white and yellow flower trailed the rocks that mad up the water fall. "Oleander," she murmured, reaching out to stroke the velvety petals.

Back in the kitchen, the rest of the group discuss the newest addition.

"Where'd she come from?" Bobby asked, swilling the remnants of his root beer around in the bottom of the bottle.

"We found her under the East Bridge two days ago," Scott replied. "The Professor located her with Cerebro, like he usually does. Apparently she can do anything another mutant can do, as long as she's seen it done."

"Who did she discover something like that? I mean, most mutants don't go around advertising what they can do," said Rogue, gazing out the window to where Morgan and Logan had disappeared.

"She was in the train station, when Magneto kidnapped you. On the same train, as it happens. She saw everything. When she got home, she wondered if she could to it, too," Aurora answered, dumping the vegetables she had been slicing into a large bowl.

"But that was a year ago! How come we haven't heard about her before this?" Bobby exclaimed. "I thought the Prof kept tabs on the really powerful ones."

Scott nodded. "He does. He been monitoring her for some time. She blew the roof off of her stepfather's house when she tried out my laser. That's when he first caught sight of her with Cerebro."

"Is that why she was under that bridge? She ran away?" Rogue asked, taking a small sip from her soda.

"She's been on the move all year, apparently. She spent her 15th birthday under a tree in Central Park." They all turned to stare at him. Scott shrugged. "The Professor briefed us on her while she was unconscious. He was able to probe her mind more thoroughly while she was out."

Rogue shivered. "Sorry," Bobby said quickly, trying to rein in his aura. She laughed.

"Not you, stupid. Morgan. She's even more dangerous than I am. She can do I _anything _at any time. Every time she sees one of us work our powers, she grows stronger. That's…eerie."

Bobby nodded. "Good thing we got her before Magneto did."

"_Very_ good thing. That's why we have to keep her a secret," said Aurora. "She is going to have to remain on the grounds at all times; possibly even in the building itself. We can't risk Magneto and his cronies discovering Morgan…He's perfectly alright with using other mutants against their will." She nodded at Rogue. "It is imperative that we make her feel at home here. We can't allow her to run off like you did. If Magneto were to get his hands on her, the results would be disastrous."

Bobby and Rogue looked at each other. "So I'm guessing the 'make her feel at home' part has been delegated to us," Bobby said evenly. Too evenly.

"Yes. Oh, come on, man, it won't be that bad. You were getting along with her fine a few minutes ago," Scott said exasperatedly, eyeing his empty bottle irritably.

"But to be forced to? That's something totally different!" Bobby exclaimed. "I don't want to have to baby sit a fifteen-year-old! And she won't like it either. She's a sharp one…If we're tailing her everywhere, she'll figure out something's up."

"Gawd, Bobby, calm down!" Rogue said, her thick Alabama accent creeping into her voice. "She's just a kid. You hardly even know her. She may already be settling in." She placed a gloved and over his and hastily changed the subject. "Who's she staying with?"

"The Professor thinks it's best if she has her own room for the time being. We still have to figure out a way to tell the other students about her with out alarming them," Aurora said, resting her arms on the bar where the kids were sitting. "Come on. You guys are old enough to except a little responsibility. And you don't have to follow her around. Just make sure no one picks a fight with her, or whatever."

Come on, Bobby, she's a nice kid. It'll be fun!" Rogue said soothingly. His expression lightened somewhat, but he still appeared to have reservations.

"Yeah. Fun."


	5. Chapter 4

**Me no own Marvel. Capiche?**

_Morgan was in the secret garden, watching the fish as they swam about. Their colors were dulled today as the sun was covered by clouds, giving the whole scene an unearthly feel._

_A hand rested on her shoulder, making her jump. She turned to see a slim woman with short, reddish- brown hair was standing there, smiling down at her with gray eyes._

"_Hello, Morgan."_

"_Who are you?" Morgan asked, her own voice sounding far away. She struggled to understand her own words as they echoed around the setting._

"_I'm a friend. Can you do something for me?" she asked. A lovely feeling came over the girl. This woman was a friend. What could she do to hurt her? A favor? Of course!_

"_Of course, I'll help you," Morgan answered, a smile playing across her face. The woman nodded, smiling as well._

"_I want you to go back to the city. Under that tree, in the Park. There'll be another friend waiting there for you; he'll tell you what to do next."_

"_How will I get there?" Morgan asked. She didn't remember how she got here in the first place. How could she possibly find her way to Central Park?_

"_There is a motorcycle in the garage. You've always wanted to ride one, haven't you?" Morgan nodded happily. "Take it, the Professor won't mind. As soon as you get outside the grounds, I can guide you."_

"_You're leaving me?" Morgan replied, frowning. _

"_Only for a moment, I promise," the woman said soothingly, patting her on the shoulder. Morgan nodded. The woman looked over her shoulder in fear. Morgan looked too, but could see no one there. "What is it?" she asked._

"_There are some who do not want me to speak to you," the lady replied. "I must go now, or they will find me."_

"_Alright," Morgan said. Who could possibly have a grudge with this woman? She was so pleasant and kind!_

_The woman smiled. "I'll see you again soon. You must hurry to New York City. My friend will be waiting for you there." Her image flickered, and vanished._

Morgan sat up in bed, heart pounding. The dream had seemed so real…she needed to go to the city.

Rising from her bed, she put on her clothes in a daze. Argus looked up from the edge of her bed, whimpering. "Stay," she said, zipping her jeans. Argus whined and kneaded the mattress with his large paws, but remained where he was. She had never used that Tone with him before.

She made for the door and down the hall. She needed to find the garage. She stumbled bare-footed down the hall, having left her shoes by her bed in her haste. Padding silently down the main staircase, she opened the large door marked "Storage." She had a vague recollection of Scott carrying her up the stairs and through this door, but after that the memory faded. She turned the handle; it was locked. Frowning, she stretched out her hand and froze the doorknob; it expanded, cracking the wooden door. It clattered to the floor as she pushed the door open and proceeded down the stairs. Several vehicles of varying complexity stretched out before her; she located Scott's prized motorcycle and swung her bare feet over the seat.

The sound of a revving engine woke Logan, who groaned and rolled over in his sleep. Scott's motorcycle? What the hell was he doing with it at one in the morning? Damn laser boy.

But when the even noise of the engine was interrupted by a deafening crash, he sat up.

Something big was going down.

He rose quickly from his bed, pulling on his pants as he did so. Glancing out his window as he pulled his belt to, he saw a shadowy form come blowing out of the smoking garage, heading for the front gates. As it passed beneath the lights mounted on the pillars that supported the caste-iron fence, he recognized the vehicle; it was Scott's bike, alright. A blaze of red light shoot from the figure, melting the ornate gateway. What the hell was Scott doing?

The door flew open as Logan reached for the door handle. A stunned Scott starred at him through his red sunglasses; apparently he had not expected him to be in his room. Logan, too, was surprised. If it wasn't Scott on the bike, then who…

"Morgan!" the two men cried simultaneously, running out into the hall, Logan still struggling to pull on his shoes. He quickly overtook the younger man, however, and was pounding on the Professor's door.

"Enter."

Logan threw the door open. "She's gone."


	6. Chapter 5

**I don't own Marvel. Haven't we done this before?**

_Morgan smiled as the woman waved, waiting for her on the other side of the gate._

"_Good work! Now, follow me," the woman called, disappearing and reappearing a'ways down the avenue. __Morgan revved the engine, hurrying to catch up with the beautiful lady. But as soon as she got to where the woman should be, she became farther and farther away. Morgan frowned, pushing the cycle faster and faster. Suddenly, a tall man appeared in the middle of the street. She threw on the break, coming inches away from running over his highly polished shoes._

"_Professor!" Morgan exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" She could see the woman in the distance, beckoning her onward fervently. _

"_Where are you going, Morgan?" he asked._

"_Don't tell him, Morgan! He wants to hurt me!" the woman called, her voice seeming far away. Morgan looked at her; she had an expression of total fear plastered on her lovely features. Fury coursed through Morgan's veins. How dare he!_

"_Get out of my way!" she said angrily. The image of Xavier flicked slightly, but he stubbornly remained. "I'll run you over!"_

_He smiled. "No, you won't." She could feel him holding her in place. Her anger heightened, threatening to boil over. "Come back, Morgan. Come back to me."_

"_He wants to use you against me, Morgan! He wants me dead!" the woman cried, tears streaming down her face. "Please! Don't go with him! Hurry or it will be too late!"_

"_Move!" Morgan growled, fighting his pull on her. The Professor flickered again, this time a look of pain on his face, eyes closed. He looked over his shoulder, seeing the woman for the first time. A look of shock crossed his face. "Jean?"_

_The moment of broken concentration was all Morgan needed. She banished him back to wherever he had come from, removing the obstacle from her path. He vanished, the hold on her broken. She gunned the engine, pelting towards the smiling woman. _

"_Thank you! Thank you, Morgan!" the woman said, crying in relief. "You must hurry and get away. He is a bad man; his demons will be after you soon! Hurry to me!"_

_Morgan felt fear slipping fluidly in to replace her anger. Demons? She pushed the gas peddle harder, terror driving her to higher and higher speeds. The woman smiled and warmth filled Morgan's body. "Don't worry, I'll protect you._

Logan and Scott sat nervously next to the Professor's bed as he made his search for the missing girl with his mind. They watched the older man's face; first a smile, then a frown, then a look of complete shock. Then a gasp of pain, bringing him sharply back to their world. Scott leaned forward in concern.

"Where is she? What happened?" Logan pressed as Scott looked angrily up at him. The Professor took a moment to catch his breath.

"She fought me off. She's being guided away."

"Who? Who is guiding her?"

The Professor looked him straight in the eye, his unwavering gaze unnerving the stoic Wolverine.

"It's Jean."


	7. Chapter 6

**Je ne possede pas le X-Men. (I do not own the X-Men.) I do, however, own Morgan, Argus, and a few other bad guys I'm going to introduce in this chapter, like Umbra, for instence. Just to be on the safe side, as me first. :D.**

**R&R please!**

A soft knock on the door broke the horrified silence. "Enter," the Professor said wearily, closing his eyes for a moment. The door opened, revealing a crowd of children muttering quietly in the hall. Aurora, Bobby, and Rogue entered, the tall white haired woman telling Kitty gently to take the younger children down to the living room for now. The frightened Kitty nodded, gathering the whispering kids and herding them down the stairs. Aurora shut the door quietly behind her.

"What's happened? We saw smoke from the window," Aurora said, coming to sit down next to the stunned Scott.

"Morgan's not in her room," Rogue said quietly, fearing the worst.

"We know," said the Professor, and set about filling them in on the details of the situation…except for the specter of the deceased X-Man. Logan and Scott remained silent, torrents of feelings flooding their respective minds. Jean Grey, alive and stealing their students? It wasn't possible. Jean, alive…

"We'll have to go after her," Logan said finally. He stood; Scott followed suit.

"We'll go with you," said Rogue, gripping Bobby's hand. "Let's go."

"Who said we were inviting you?Needle-dickand I can handle it."

"Logan, stop it," said Aurora gently, placing a hand on his arm. "The Professorwill decide who'll be doing what, since he's the only one who seems to know what's going on." Scott looked grudgingly up at the Professor, eyes unreadable behind his sunglasses. The Professor gazed at him silently; perhaps they exchanged thoughts of comfort, for this "ghost" had reopened a scar that they had thought healed. Scott dropped his gaze and buried his face in his hands, shuddering with silent sobs. Aurora patted him on the shoulder.

"_All_ of you shall go. I must remain here incase this is a diversion; if some outside force is behind this…" He shook his head. "Hurry; if the world that is being projected into Morgan's mind is the same as the real one, than you should find her under a large oak tree in Central Park in just under half an hour." He heaved himself out of his bed and into his wheelchair, pulling down on a carved blossom protruding from the wall panel beside the bed. The panel shuddered to the side, revealing a passage into the bowels of the mansion; the proverbial lion's den of the X-Men.

"Hurry, let's get you dressed."

_Morgan blew through a red light, the screech of tires not reaching her ears through the mental fog. The smiling woman the Professor had called "Jean" waved at her from a corner. Morgan slowed slightly; the terrain surrounding her felt eerily familiar. _

"_Come, Morgan! It is almost time!" Jean called. _

"_Time for what?" Morgan inquired, dropping her bike in the grass and padding towards the lady. But even then, she couldn't reach her._

"_My friends will be here soon! They'll tell you what to do." She glanced over her shoulder, as if in fear. "I must go now! Good luck!"_

"_Wait!" Morgan exclaimed, reaching out towards her as if she could drag her back. But the image flickered and was gone._

Morgan felt as though a fog had lifted from her eyes, taking with it a heavy burden that had cascaded around her head. She staggered to the side, her hand resting against the trunk of a tree for balance. The warm feeling that Jean's image had brought with her had vanished, leaving her feeling cold and utterly alone. She noticed her numb toes for the first time. Why would she leave the Institute without shoes? And where…?

She looked up to catch a glimpse of her surroundings and gasped. Central Park? How on Earth did she get here? And through the gate? She glanced around wildly to get her bearings.

The full realization of where she was hit her like a falling stone. The tree where she had spent the worst birthday of her life in a drugged stupor, left for dead by one of the gangs that roamed the city's streets. Only her "powers" had saved her from worse. But it had been bad enough; with hallucinations of demons and horrible creatures streaming through her head, it was a wonder that the whole city hadn't descended on her cries. She shivered, wondering what powers had brought her here.

A shadowy hand reached for her shoulder, spinning her around. She stifled a scream. It was only a small man, presumably homeless. "Can you…can you spare me a dollar, madam?"

"I'm sorry, I don't have anything," she said, beginning to become suspicious. Sure, she hadn't exactly been looking, but where had this man come from? How did he spot her, if he was as drunk as he seemed? "Excuse me," she said, moving to brush his hand off his shoulder. "I've got to get going."

"I think not," said the man, grabbing her hand tightly. His gummy eyes became yellowy-gold in color, akin to an owl's eyes. His skin turned a vibrant blue; even in the dim light of the streetlamps Morgan could see the scales. The toothless grin of the man changed into an even-toothed, pearly white smirk; his grisly, unkempt hair into short, vibrant red strands that came together at the back of the neck. The thickset man's body and clothes vanished, revealing a very feminine form beneath. Morgan gasped. The woman sprouted massive, bat-like wings and dragged her up into the air, dangling almost ten feet in the air. Morgan kicked and strained against the vice-like grip. The blue woman had to fight mightily to stay aloft.

"Stop your struggling, or there'll be trouble," the blue woman hissed, her golden eyes radiant with hatred for the struggling girl.

"Trouble?" came a voice. "Oh, there'll be trouble, alright."

The two struggling females whipped around, wide-eyed. Five people stood below them, wreathed in shadow. One stepped forward, raising his hand to his temple, a glowing red beam forming near his face. A man stepped in front of him slightly, stopping him from firing. The brief red light illuminated the faces of the two men. Logan and Scott!

Suddenly, Morgan remembered who and what she was. She was a mutant, one of the most powerful the world had ever seen. She had the power to anything she wished, as long as she had seen it done. And in her short life, she had seen many, many things.

Logan called out to the blue woman. "Release the girl, Mystique, and we'll let you leave in peace."

Mystique chuckled, an eerie, hollow sound that reverberated in Morgan's ears. "Release her, Wolverine? My pleasure." With a second horrid cackle, she rose higher into the air. She leered hideously at Morgan, then pushed her away.

A high pitched scream echoed through the park as Morgan plummeted the thirty feet to the ground. Suddenly her descent slowed as a great flapping noise filled the air.

Morgan, too, had sprouted wings.

Two great feathered eagle's wings supported Morgan as she drifted gently to the ground next to the astonished crowd. "Morgan!" Rogue cried, enveloping the girl in a tight hug.

"Marie, you're crushing my wings."

"Oh, sorry," said Rogue sheepishly, pushing Morgan away. "They're beautiful."

"Yes, they are quite impressive"

A deep, silky voice rumbled across the grass out of the darkness. The party of X-Men circled protectively around Morgan, whose wings rustled nervously in the wind. Mystique circled angrily above, forgotten. The source of the voice stepped out from behind the tree. It appeared to be a very old man, much taller and thinner than the Professor. He had an aura of imperiousness that positively radiated from his black clad form. A large red helmet and flowing black cape added to the effect.

"She's ours, Magneto. Back off," called Wolverine, the hard edge returning to his voice. Morgan was touched. She had no idea there were people willing to fight over her.

"Ah, quite the contrary, my metallic friend. You see, if I take her from you," he replied silkily, raising a hand, "then she becomes mine." Wolverine was flung across the clearing with a flick of the man's wrist. As if by a signal, Mystique dove towards the party of X-Men with a wild cry. Cyclopes turned his head, firing rapidly at the falling woman, but the target was moving to quickly. Mystique spread her wings at the last possible moment and grew massive, gripping talons. She reached for Morgan but missed, grabbing a large amount of Iceman instead. She dropped him quickly, landing and returning to her regular deadly blue self.

Morgan rolled aside to avoid the descending threat, and looked up. But it seemed she had leaped from the proverbial frying pan and into the fire; Magneto starred down at her, a lopsided grin on his face. He reached down with a gloved hand and gripping her shoulder, hauling her to her feet. "Umbra. Finish them," he said gruffly, dragging Morgan away. She saw a foggy figure out of the corner of her eye; a mutant that appeared to be made entirely out of shadow. He grinned, winking at the stunned Morgan and the swelled to great size to cover the battling X-Men, each of whom had their hands full with another of Magneto's minions.

"Look out!" she cried, but a thick rag was pressed over her mouth. A slickly sweet smell filled her mouth and nostrils.

She knew no more.


	8. Chapter 7

**I don't own any Marvel stuff...except the X-Men DVD, but I didn't make that :D I do own Morgan, her dog, and Umbra. If you use any of these characters, ask me first.**

* * *

For the second time in three days, Morgan woke up in unknown territory. But this time there was no gray ceiling to welcome her; it was a dungeon, plain and simple.

She blinked groggily for several minutes, fighting to regain every ounce of consciousness as rapidly as possible. Her cell seemed to be made of stone, with a large barred window at one end. She wanted to examine the window closer; but when she tried to stand she found that she was tied to the chair.

"Well this bites," she said grimly to the wall, trying vainly to reach the knots that bound her to the chair. "First kidnap, then imprisonment. What's next, _The Price is Right_?" She struggled against the bonds, but that approach also proved fruitless. She glared around the room. How would she manage this one?

She closed her eyes, trying to remember any and all powers that might assist her in her escape. Flight? No, her wings would be just be damaged by the tight ropes. Ice? No, the ropes were hemp, not steel, so ice wouldn't help. Mind reading? No. Steel claws? No, she couldn't bend her hands to reach the knots. Laser eyes? Only if she wanted to remove the rest of the room along with her bonds.

What mutants had been battling the X-Men when Magneto had choloroformed her? A frog man, a fire kid, a great hairy man with fangs, Mystique…No, none of those were practical. But there was one other…

The shadow man! Umbra, or something. Shadows weren't inhibited by measly ropes. Taking a deep breath, she vanished.

The ropes collapsed on the chair as the shadow rose, casting eerie shapes on the wall of the cell. Then Morgan reappeared, standing in the center of the cell. She gathered her sweat shirt around her, feeling the large holes her wings had left in it. Oops. But more pressing things were at hand.

She glanced around the room for a means of escape; a boxy camera sat high in the corner. She grinned, making an extremely rude hand gesture. Then, using Cyclopes's laser vision, blew it into smoking bits.

Now that that was finished, she decided it would be prudent to find the way out. She stood across from the window, which gazed out over the ocean. If she could squeeze out the window, she could fly back to the Institute. She approached the window, reaching out to finger the bars.

An blue spark leapt out at her, striking her outstretched hand. She jerked back, swearing. She glared up at the fizzling remains of the camera,the personification of her captors. She would just have go out the door.

It was a large metal contraption at the opposite end of the room. She reached out with her mind like the Professor, looking for the lock. There wasn't one; the door seemed to be completely fused to the wall. "Damn!" she cried, pounding the offender with her fist. She racked her brain once more. Laser again, perhaps?

She backed up, lining up her eyes with the edge of the door. A narrow beam of red light connected her hazel eyes with the edge of the door; but its highly polished metallic surface acted as a mirror, reflecting the laser back towards her. She leapt out of the way just in time as the beam flew through the air that her forehead had previously inhabited, striking the stone wall. A large crack appeared, sending fragments of stone and dust cascading into the room, but otherwise it was undamaged. She drew near to it warily, coughing in the cement dirt her experiment had created. The stone was much too thick; that was not a way out. She was quickly running out of options.

But that Magneto fellow…what did he _do_, exactly? It appeared to only be telepathy, but then why had had only attacked Wolverine? And with a name like "Magneto," that certainly implied…

"That's it!" she exclaimed, turning back to the window bars. "Metal! He controls metal!"

She lifted her hand like she had seen the man do when he had so casually flung Wolverine to the side. With a Moses-esque motion, she eased the crackling, electrified bars out of her way. She stepped toward the open sky, out onto the small ledge.

The sky and ocean flickered and vanished.

A much larger metal room encircled her stone prison. She stepped out into it, utterly confused.

"That's our best time on record. Congratulations."

Back a the Institute, the X-Men were nursing their wounds.

Bobby had a large bandage wrapped around his shoulder and upper arm where Mystique's talons had punctured his skin; Scott had burn marks on his arms and legs where Pyro's flames had reached. Even Aurora was having difficulty breathing after her battle with Sabertooth. Only Rogue and Logan appeared unharmed.

"A damn shadow man. They've got a shadow man!" Scott exclaimed as Aurora rubbed a stinking salve onto his burns.

"Magneto's forces are growing, it seems. This will make it even more difficult to recover Morgan," said the Professor, the lines on his face deepening.

"You still think we can do it?" Scott snorted. "We don't even know where his lair is, and even if we did, it's sure to be well defended."

"We've got to get her back," said Logan, helping Bobby back into his shirt. "If we don't, Magneto could use her to level half of New York State! It's not like he hasn't tried it before."

"We can't possibly think of leaving her there!" Rogue cried, a haunted look flickering behind her eyes. "Alone with that man and his…his pets." She shuddered. "No way. We've got to go and get her back."

"And how do you propose we do it, smartass?" Scott exploded, standing up angrily.

"Scott, sit down!" said Aurora, trying to force him back into his seat. But he pushed her away.

"How do we know this isn't a trap? It would be a lovely way to pick us off, one by one. First, send us a girl with such amazing powers that we can't help but investigate, then within twenty-four hours she's leading us off on a wild goose chase to Central Park; who do we meet? Magneto. Who knows all our weaknesses? Magneto? Who sends her a dream about…about…" he swallowed, collapsing into the chair. He lowered his face into his hands.

The Professor sighed. "We must stay strong, Scott. And we must find Morgan Oleander."

Morgan spun around, coming face to face with Magneto once more. He was no less imposing without his cape and helmet; Morgan felt very, very small. He wore a lopsided smile like a crown, beckoning her royaly towards him. "That was an excellent time. The best, in fact. None of my other trainees can escape from The Box that quickly. Usually the ocean hologram disorients them…" He trailed off, moving forward. When Morgan backed away from him, his smile widened. "Don't be afraid. Come here, child."

Now it was Morgan's turn to give a sardonic smile. "Of the guy who leads kids off in the middle of the night and locks them up? Why should I be afraid of you?"

He frowned. "I said, _come here_." He raised his hand. Morgan could feel her self being dragged forward, the snaps and zippers in her clothes straining in their sockets.

"No!" she cried, fighting back with the same power. The two identical magnetic polespushed each other away with great force, sending both Morgan and Magneto tumbling to the ground.

"You'll pay for that," he said, climbing quickly to his feet. Morgan had been dashed against the out wall of her former prison and she lay dazed, gazing dumbly up at the older man as he approached her. She could feel someone else pressing on her mind, preventing her from recovering. She struggled against it, trying to force the person to reveal himself. But as she did so, Mystique appeared from the side, clasping two great cuffs around her wrists. The painful shock brought her sharply back down to Earth; the psychic pressure vanished.

Magneto's smile had returned. "Those should hold you. Should you try to use your powers, I'm afraid that you will experience some pain."

"Go ahead and just try it, kid," Mystique growled, her yellow eyes glowering down at the other female. She grabbed the chain in the center, hauling Morgan to her feet.

Magento smiled approvingly. "Now it's time to find out exactly what you can do."


	9. Chapter 8

**I don't own Marvel, since I'm obviously NOT Marvel...I do own Morgan, Umbra, Psyche, and Argus yutduhDuhduhDUH...this isn't anything _new_, I hope?**

**Here is my Shamless Advertisement: Please read my _Pirates of the Caribbean_ story, intitled "Baladeers and Bucaneers." Yes, I do realize that "balladeers" is speeled wrong, but I also spelled it wrong on the title thingy. For the sake of conformity, I advertise it as such.**

**Thanks to all those of y'all who have left incouraging reviews! Merci! **

**Next Installment Commencing...Have fun!**

* * *

Mystique dragged Morgan roughly out of the steel room while Magneto walked stately ahead. Morgan's struggles ceased when they entered the irregular stone hallway, which opened into a massive cavern that plunged into darkness. A metal causeway projected from the edge of the cliff and out into the darkness, coming to rest on a pillar of rock a good many feet away. Perched on this column of rock was a menacing machine, not the same one it had supported two years earlier, but one that seemed made for the same sinister purpose: to destroy human-kind. 

"I can take her from here, my dear," Magneto said, raising a hand. Morgan was dragged forward by her manacles, making her stumble to her knees. The man continued on, either oblivious or uncaring as his captive slid across the floor on first her shins and then her stomach. She grunted in pain as she glanced over her shoulder, trying to gain some idea of where she was. Mystique stood at the entrance to a large metal door, arms akimbo and a cruel smirk plastered on her freakish face. But the shackles pulled her onward, forcing her head back around to face the frightening instrument in the center of the cavern.

Magneto halted, turning to face the girl sprawled at his feet. She sat up, smoky hair tumbling over her face as she tried to stand. Magneto's crooked smile widened as he watched her struggle to her feet, her front covered in dust from the floor. The steel was cold to her bare feet, the cuffs heavy and uncomfortable. But still she glared defiantly up at him, hazel eyes blazing. She glanced over his shoulder, a spasm of fear crossing her face. She had heard about this man's exploits from Wolverine, about his hidden laboratory by the sea…and it certainly wasn't shaping up to be a great place to be.

"What's that?" she asked, returning her gaze to the smiling man. Magneto raised a white eyebrow.

"That is the question of the hour," he said mockingly, dragged her forward again and up into the claws of the machine. "Please, don't stand on my account," he said, cruel glee lighting up his eyes. He flicked his finger casually, forcing Morgan down into the cool metal chair. "Psyche, Umbra," he said. Morgan looked at him in confusion. _Muttering silly words, are we? _She thought. Had the supervillain finally snapped?

Two shimmering figures materialized next to him, one the shadowy man who had sealed the defeat of the X-Men rescue team. Next to him stood a slickly woman with colorless hair and the pearly eyes of the blind, her long fingers tapping his arm in rapid succession. She glowed with a strange radiance that hurt Morgan's eyes at the same time that it dragged her gaze toward it. Although so dissimilar, something led the girl to believe they were related, if not siblings. The way the male supported the female with gentle practice and brotherly affection seemed to confirm that.

"Mimic, you will have met the twins already," Magneto said coolly. Umbra waved, smirking, but the one called Psyche did not move, her face passive. Morgan shook her head. "Oh, but you have. Umbra was the one who so soundly defeated your friends from the Institute; in a different form, Psyche coaxed from their grasp.

Suddenly the mental pressure returned, crushing Morgan's mind like the cliché cartoon weight. She cried out in pain, her body convulsing as she tried to fight back. A flicker of happiness crossed the pale, pitiless eyes of Psyche as the girl before her writhed in agony.

"_Hello again, foolish child," the woman said, her mouth twitching in spiteful amusement. "Remember me?" The comforting aura that Jean's form had once carried had vanished, bringing only never-ending, excruciating pain._

"_No! You were my friend!" a naïve portion of Morgan's mind cried as her mental form thrashed on the white ground. _

"_Friend? Child, I need no friends. I am Psyche!" the woman cried, her red haired form convulsing as it changed into the horrible face of the pale woman. Her colorless hair became white vipers, their sightless eyes striking blindly towards the helpless girl. Morgan tried to run, to crawl away from the fearsome image. She tried to force it away, but the snakes wrapped around her legs, dragging her ever back, Psyche's chanting voice echoing in her ears._

"_Charles Xavier is dead!" proclaimed the giant head, leering at her. "When you forced him from your mind to PROTECT me, he perished! The old man is dead, and you are to blame!" The head swirled around Morgan, the snakes striking every unprotected portion of her body. "You're to blame! You!"_

"_NO!" Morgan shouted, pushing away with all of her strength._

Magneto and Umbra watched the two females' fight from the outside. Only Morgan's furious squirming and Psyche's slight smile indicated that anything was actually occurring. Magneto had formed a chair from the steel of the bridge and was lounging quietly, his long fingers pressed together in a peak as he watched the mental battle. Umbra stood, his bored eyes roaming the cavern. Under Magneto's observant eye, three things happened.

A mournful "no" escaped Morgan's lips.

Psyche's smile turned to a frown.

The cavern exploded.

Wolverine's keen ears picked up a soft "thump" of an explosion as the SR-71 circled New York City. He touched Cyclops's arm. "There," he said, pointing out into the past the Sound and out into the open ocean. They glided over Long Island and across the gleaming water.

"What did you see?" Storm asked, leaning back to look at Wolverine.

"I thought I heard…"

"There!" cried Iceman, pointing over Storm's shoulder and out into the darkness. "That little isle, right there!"

"Where?" Cyclops asked, switching the view from regular to thermal. A tiny outcropping of rocks rose from the ocean as the gray waves pounded it relentlessly. In silent agreement, the party prepared for an aquatic landing.

"Nestling to Motherbird, we have found the Lion's Den, repeat, we have found the Lion's Den!" Cyclops called into the two-way radio.

"Pardon, Mr. Scott?" returned the heavily accented voice of Karl, the X-Men's blue friend from Northern Europe.

Cyclops sighed. "Tell the Professor we've found Magneto's lair," he said gruffly as Rogue and Iceman stifled sniggers. He rounded on them. "This isn't a laughing…"

Storm placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Land the plane, Cyclops."

Morgan's last desperate attempt to free herself had worked; her cuffs had exploded violently, spewing shrapnel in every direction. Luckily, her instincts saved her from being speared in the gut; a ball of psychic energy forced the shards away from her and pelting towards her captors. Psyche screamed as a splinter pierced her pale arm; her brother became shadow, saving himself before reaching down to envelop his weeping sibling in smoky vapor. Magneto managed to halt the journey of most of the metal that sped his way; one piece escaped, burying itself deep in the steel of his chair. His cold gray eyes turned from that single piece and back towards the culprit, eyes blazing with fury.

The chair was empty, except for a single, spinning splinter of steel.

Magneto lowered his outstretched arm, the superheated chips of Morgan's bonds crashing into the abyss below. His head whipped for left to right, searching for the escaped prisoner. Turning angrily, he stalked towards the exit.

"Mystique, sound the alarm, our little bird has escaped!"


	10. Chapter 9

**I don't own Marvel. I do own Morgan, Argus, Psyche, Umbra, and Techno.**

**I know his name is Kurt! I screwed up! His name is KURT! Not Karl...mutters angrily at self**

* * *

The black shuttle touched down with a soft _whoosh_, the down ramp extending as soon as the post-flight check was complete. The crowd of X-Men hurried down on to the rocky soil, the tiny island's gravely terrain slipping about beneath their booted feet. Iceman reached up and helped Rogue to the ground. Behind her on a leash came Argus, whining like an injured pig.

"Shhhh," she said soothingly, patting the frightened dog on the head. He wuffed quietly, nudging her hand for comfort. The Girl With Strange Fur had insisted that the dog be brought along, saying his ties to his Girl went beyond licks and sniffs. He straightened slightly, pressing his nose to the ground. Yes, her scent! He could lead them to the missing Girl! And, by Sirius, he would!

Argus trotted forward with a bark, dragging Rogue after him. "Y'all, I think he can show us where they've taken Morgan! Look!" The rest of the group turned and hurried after Rogue, who had to jog to keep up with the elated dog. Rogue mouth was set in a grim line as she thought of what tortures the poor Mimic could be suffering inside.

_We're coming, Morgan._

Magneto and his cronies stormed down the hallway, Mystique at her master's side, whispering soothingly into his ear. He pushed her away forcefully quickened his pace; the one of the other mutants sniggered. Mystique whirled around, furious. The giggles stopped abruptly. The group paused, at a stalemate; an angry shout came from ahead. The crowd jumped and hurried on, the blue woman clenching her fists in fury. They turned the corner and disappeared.

A section of shaded wall shifted, becoming a smoky-haired teenager. Morgan shucked her shredded sweat-shirt, revealing a navy blue t-shirt. She wiped her sweaty brow with the cover-up and tossed it to the ground. She padded silently away from it, the slapping of her bare feet echoing around the warm chamber.

"We've got 'er."

Techno swiveled in his chair, his slanted almond eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Where?" Magneto inquired, pushing the arrogant Oriental boy out of the way to peer at the screen. "I don't see…"

"There, sir," the genius said, returning to his keyboard. "Now if you had let me replace these _repulsive _cameras with some of mine, this picture would be a lot shaper…"

"Silence!" the leader erupted, slamming his fist on console. He gazed at the screen as it came into focus. The monitor now displayed a crisp view of the East corridor, where a young girl was breaking into a jog. "Mystique, Pyro. Go."

"Lemme just move the camera…" Techno muttered, fiddling with the mouse.

Out of the corner of her eye, Morgan caught a quick movement. She quickly vanished, backing up against the wall.

A camera.

Once again, the embodiment of her foes. Smirking, she blew it up and continued down the hall in shadow form. They would be here soon. But she would be long gone.

The girl vanished for a moment, the a blaze of red light appeared and the image was lost.

"Damn! Techno, fix this," Magneto growled, turning. "Umbra, Toad, come with me. We'll cut her off. Mimic cannot be allowed to escape."

"Uhh, sir…" said Techno, tugging on the older man's cape.

"What IS it, Techno!" the man cried, whirling around. His eyes widened when they saw the monitor the boy was pointing to. A soft smirk twisted his features. "Charles. You never _could_ leave well enough alone, I suppose." He shook his head, pressing the button that activated the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemutants, the X-Men have arrived."

When Morgan heard the announcement, she lost her shadow form and let out a whoop. In the excitement, she forgot why she had been invisible; she was quickly reminded when a ball of flame soared past her face, so close that it singed her hair. She vanished, twirling around to face her attacker.

A sneering boy carrying a Zippo lighter leaned casually against the glossy wall, tossing up and catching a sphere of white-hot fire like a baseball. "Come out, come out where ever you are…" he murmured, moving forward. Morgan stepped back, repulsed and fascinated at the same time. If he wasn't trying so hard at that evil grin, he'd be kinda cute. She shoved that absurd thought away, her ghostly eyes trained on her opponent. Her formed flickered; the strain of so many forms was beginning to catch up with her. She gasped and disappeared once more. His grin widened as he threw the fiery projectile, missing her shoulder by inches. She tumbled out of the way, and into a intersecting hallway, pressing herself up against the wall.

"Come on, you little copycat, I'm not going to hurt you," he growled. "Much!" Pyro whipped his head around the corner, his face inches from hers. She held her breath, not daring to move, should it trigger another sputter in her disguise. "Humph," he grunted, stepping into the hallway.

"Pyro!" Mystique stalked down the opposite vestibule, making the boy jump.

"Ma'am," he said, standing up straight. "She was here, I saw 'er. She kinda flickered right over there, then ran this way." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, the opposable appendage coming very near to Morgan's eye. She back up slightly; her vaporous body shimmering into being for the briefest of moments. Mystique's owl-like irises widening.

"There, you idiot!" Mystique cried, pushing the surprised Pyro out of the way. At this point, however, Morgan was already halfway down the passage, her cold feet pounding along the corridor. Her body continued to waver between shadowy invisibility and considerably dangerous opaqueness. Pyro pelted after her, trying to singe her just enough to slow her down; Magneto would be very displeased with him if he killed her. He followed her at a sprint, gaining ground at every stride.

She knew it, too. Morgan fought to speed up, taking as many turns as she, hoping to loose him in the labyrinthic complex. He had the major advantage of a good pair of shoes; a violent shock ran up her leg every time her naked foot crashed to the ground. And she was certainly no runner. All that kept her going was hatred and adrenaline. Time for something desperate.

Pyro tailed her easily as she turned a corner, never expecting his prey to jump him as he rounded the bend. Morgan leapt at him with a freakish yowl that would have been comic if it hadn't been so terrifying. He howled in pain as a shower of pointed hailstones rained down on his face. As he raised his arms to defend himself, she kicked his legs out from under him, grabbing his lighter as his fell through the air. He lay on the ground, stunned, as she leaned over him. "I'm really sorry about this," she murmured, her hand hovering over his face. And somehow, as the ice crept up his legs and torso, he believed her. She didn't want this. She was just a scared kid. Just like everybody else.

Morgan shuddered, turning. She tossed the lighter to the floor, far away from the arm now thickly incased in frozen water. The girl hurried away from him, her head low.

She heard the click of a lighter being flicked open and glanced over her shoulder in terror. But the boy was still on the floor, covered in frost.

The lighter rose from the ground, lingering in the air like some bizarre insect.

"What in the name of…" she whispered, watching the dancing flame of the igniter as it danced in the air.

"The time has come, young Mimic. Surrender."

Morgan looked forward, backing up a step in surprise. Magneto stood before her, his strange red helmet gleaming in the fluorescent lights, Mystique at his side. "Oh, gawd," she murmured, turning to run. She ran smack into Pyro, for whom Magneto had recovered the Zippo. He gripped her by the shoulders, spinning her back around to face Magneto. She gazed the tall man, wild-eyed, a shock of smoky hair tumbling over her face as she struggled in his grasp. "Did you really think I would join you? Hell no!"

Magneto sighed. "So dramatic. Well, we certainly can't allow Xavier to have such an excellent prize," he said, touching her cheek, but pulled away as she tried to bite him. He slapped her fiercely, frowning. He turned to speak to Mystique. "Tell Techno to initiate the chamber, we'll be there momen…"

Morgan used this opportunity to elbow Pyro in the stomach. He loosened his grip with a groan. She hooked her foot around his ankle, pulling him to the ground. She racing down the hall past him by the time he hit the floor, careening at top speed back the way she had come.

She had little strength left to use her powers; opening a door with telekinesis almost made her pass out there on the floor. She bolted through the door, shutting it fast and sealing it with laser vision. She leaned against it, panting, her eyes closed.

"Morgan?"

She opened her eyes in surprise, but was enveloped in a huge hug. "What the…Rogue?" she stammered, returning the hug with enthusiasm. She pushed her away. "Magneto's on my tail."

"Let's get out of here, kid," said Wolverine, clapping her on the shoulder. "Come on, how d'we get outta here?"

Morgan glanced around, realizing they were back in the cavern with the bizarre machine. "This way," she said, stepping forward.

The door began to groan; Magneto was on the other side, trying to force it open. "Damn!" cried Wolverine. "Freeze that," he said to Iceman, hurrying Morgan away.

Iceman raised his hand, creating a thick layer of ice between the door and the chamber. He grinned, winking at Morgan. The pounding from the other side of the door became more intense as the group of X-Men hurried away, but Iceman had done his job well; the ice was many inches thick.

The X-Men followed Morgan across the steel causeway towards the alarming apparatus that had amplified Psyche's powers. As they approached it, they could see a crumpled white form lying next to the contraption.

Wolverine and Cyclops cried out. "Jean?" whispered Cyclops, unbelieving. He dashed forward, followed closely by the other X-Men.

"No, wait!" called Morgan. "Don't touch her!" But Cyclops already had the body in his arms, weeping like a newborn child. "Jean, Jean, Jean," he repeated her name over and over, rocking her still form back and forth.

"Stop!" Morgan hollered, but her cries fell on deaf ears. She hobbled up to them, her bare feet sore and bruised, trying vainly to push them away. "You're making a big mistake!"

A massive CRACK echoed throughout the chamber; only Morgan turned to see it's source. The ice shield was glowing, the center already thin and red. Magneto was coming.

"We have to get out of here!" she repeated, pulling on Storm's arm. But the mutant pushed her away, the benevolent expression on her face was of one in a trance. Cyclops was sobbing uncontrollably, clutching the pale form of the bleeding Psyche like a doll.

They all thought she was Jean Grey.

"That's not Jean Grey, dammit!" the girl shouted, trying to break Psyche's hold on them. But it was no use. Outside help was to no avail. She would have to go inside.

Glancing back at the quickly disintegrating door, she straightened her shoulders. This would be easy; just like the keeping out the Professor.

She closed her eyes, the hissing of the vaporized ice distracting her. She cover her ears and plunged into the minds of the X-Men.

_A huge eagle appeared before Wolverine, blocking his view of Jean. He tried to push it out of the way with his hand, but its great wings shrouded his head, cutting her off from him. _

"_Logan! Help me!" Jean sobbed. He fought the pull of the eagle's talons as they raked his skin. The pain reached an intense point; he gasped,_ and returned to consciousness, Morgan sitting before him with her imitation of his claws buried deep in his shoulder. She pulled them out apologetically. "This isn't Jean, Wolverine. She's Psyche. She's trying to keep us here. He moved towards the Jean he saw in Cyclops's arms uncertainly, stroking her brown hair. "No!" Morgan cried angrily, slapping him. That removed all traces of the trance, bringing him sharply back down to Earth. He caught her arm as she raised it to strike again.

"Alright, I'm back, calm down!"

"The door…"

He leapt to his feet. "Fix 'em. I'll hold him off." She looked at him oddly, but nodded. She set to work as he moved away towards the door.

The ice was very thin now; he could see three shapes moving behind it. Expelling his adamantium claws, he prepared for a fight.


	11. Chapter 10

**I don't own Marvel sighs at repetitiveness but Morgan, Argus, Umbra, Psyche, Techno, and this general storyline are MINE. My preciousssssssss...mwa ha ha.**

**Ahem.**

* * *

Argus at her side, Morgan gripped Iceman by the temples, diving into his mind.

"_Bobby!"_

_Bobby glanced around uncertainly, hearing the familiar voice. Jean beckoned him forward with a graceful hand, her smiling face drawing him towards her. _

"_Bobby, no!" The call became the high pitched shriek of an eagle. The massive bird danced before him, trying to distract him from the now frantic Jean. He stepped forward to reach his former teacher, but the eagle remained in his way. Angrily, he tried to dodge it. It hovered, hesitating. He could almost imagine that it was looking at him sadly, but before he could discern the bird's true expression it vanished. He walked towards the woman smugly, Jean's proud smile fueling his ego. Abruptly, he stopped. Jean watched him, concerned. He tried to lift his foot but found it far to heavy to do so. An immeasurable cold was creeping along his limbs, making him shiver violently. He brushed the feelings away, trying to free his foot. He looked down to see what could possibly be obstructing him, finding that it was frozen to the floor. All of the coldness he had tried to ignore came rushing in once more, _bringing him back into the real world with a gasp of pain. His face was inches from Morgan's, her hazel eyes opening with a deep sigh. He pushed away from her, confused. She let go of his head, struggling to breathe. He glanced around, trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

"Go…help…Wolverine," she gasped, her arms crossed behind her head as she fought for air. He moved toward her, concerned. "Go, dammit!" she cried, blocking his view of the other entranced X-Men. Her tone carried such an authority that he hurried to find Wolverine.

Morgan collapsed, her long untapped abilities unused to such strenuous exercise. Wiping her sweaty forehead, she closed her eyes for a moment. The sounds of the cavern and the impending battle filled her ears. This needed to be faster. But how? She was nearly spent!

She opened her eyes to watch the party of stunned X-Men. One by one would never be fast enough. She would have to take out the problem at the source. With her mouth set in a grim line, she crawled over to Psyche and Cyclops. Grasping the pale woman's hand, she tumbled into the inside world.

_The three remaining X-Men appeared, Cyclops clutching Jean as she kissed his face and neck. Rogue and Storm standing around them. _

"_I'm here for them, Psyche!" Morgan cried, her voice echoing weirdly in the nonspace._

"_You!" Jean shrieked, momentarily flickering into the snake-headed demon of Morgan's nightmares. None of the others noticed._

"_Me," Morgan replied angrily. She stepped forward, feeling Psyche's weakened mind trying to push her back. But she had lost a lot of blood, and was struggling to remain in control. She glared at Morgan with her pearly eyes, her grip on Cyclops tightening. "Hurry, my friends, this girl wishes me harm. I must warn the Professor!" _

_Storm and Rogue turned to face Morgan, their eyes unrecognizing. Storm raised her hands as if to call up a gale, but Morgan pushed past them. Rogue tried to grab her, but the other girl slipped between her arms. She reached out for Psyche/Jean, trying to wrench her from Cyclops's grip. He turned to her, anger dripping from his expression. But Morgan was undaunted. This had to end._

_She felt Rogue and Storm's cold hands gripping her shoulder, dragging her back. She shoved them away and returned to the woman, trying to peel her from his arms. Jean's face leered up at her, grasping her "lover" more tightly. "I have them now. Magneto is coming. And then he will kill them. It will be your fault. More blood on your hands…" she trailed off into a high-pitched cackle. Morgan could feel the illusion of blood trickling down her hands as she pulled, but ignored it. A hand grabbed her in the face, suffocating her…She could feel Cyclops's fury as he powered up his laser…_

But in this last desperate attempt to rid her self of Morgan, she had lost control of Storm and Rogue. Falling sharply back down to Earth, they rushed to free Morgan from Cyclopes grip. She fell back, gasping, only a trickle of her power remaining. "Wolverine…the door…"

Storm looked up, lines of worry deepening. "Stay with her," she said to Rogue, then stood and ran towards the rapidly diminishing door.

Rogue watched her go, then turned to Morgan. She supported her in her arms. Morgan smiled up at her. "Be right back," she whispered, then passed back into the world of spirits.

"_Leave, demon!" she cried. With one tremendous effort, she forced Psyche away from Cyclopes. He howled in anger, but "Jean" was too far away now. Morgan continued to push her away from the distraught mutant, clawing at the source of all of this pain. _

_It was Psyche who had lured her here under false pretenses. Because of her actions, her friends were in danger. Her cruel minds tricks held one of the most dangerous mutants at bay. This had to end!_

_Using the anger to fuel her fight, she drove the apparition away. Even when she became the medusoid, Morgan fought her. She could feel the woman's powers trickling away; her prey was weakening. The thrill of the hunt coursed through her veins; unknowingly, her body had become that of Argus as she stalked the snake-woman. Psyche ceased fighting and ran, but the Argus/Morgan easily closed the gap between them. Leaping upon her prey, she readied for the kill…_

She was thrown forcefully back into her body, panting. She sat up with a great effort to see what could have possibly led to her return. Bloodlust still clouded her brain. The stunned Cyclopes staggered to his feet; she had let him go? She could hear Rogue call out to him as he rushed towards the fight near the door. The battle had begun, a dull buzzing in Morgan's ear. Psyche lay on the ground, in a pool of her own blood, her unseeing eyes staring up at the cavern ceiling. She breath was very, very shallow; no illusion presented itself. She must have fainted. It was the only explanation. She was no longer a threat.

Morgan turned her eyes to the fight at the door. Iceman and Pyro were battling each other to a stalemate, identical hatred flaring up between them. Two Wolverine's wrestled on the floor, teetering precariously near the edge. Storm fought to keep Magneto at bay with an electrical storm, but the bolts of lightning were dangerously close to the steel walkway. Umbra battled fiercely with Cyclops, dancing tantalizingly around his head as he fired at the vaporous tormentor. All in all, it was going badly.

Contemplating for a moment, Morgan decided on a plan. She had got them into this mess; she would get them out. She was too weak to battle herself, but another was ripe for a fight…

She lunged unexpectedly, gripping one of Rogue's supporting arms. Before the other girl could react, she yanked off the protective gloves and grabbed her hand tightly. Rogue tried to pull away, but Morgan's grip was firm. "Stop struggling! You must fight for me!"

"How did you know?" Rogue gasped, still pulling futilely as the power surged up her arm.

"Logan…the garden…fight fire with fire," Morgan mumbled, clearly delirious. She smiled up at her as she passed out, her grip loosening. Rogue pulled away in shock, quickly stuffing her hand back in her glove. Argus pawed his mistress's limp form, whining. Rogue slid the unmoving form gently to the ground; Argus curled protectively around her. Rogue smiled slightly as she stood. Morgan was in good paws.

She turned and ran across the causeway, rushing to the aid of the other X-Men. One of the Wolverines seemed to be gaining the upper hand, though whether or not it was actually Logan was uncertain. She flew past them, cycling mentally through her new powers. First, Pyro.

She harnessed her ice power and fired, showering him with hard, round hail. He yelped in pain, trying to fend off the hail with a blast of flame. This distraction was all that she needed; using the Professor's telekinesis, she snatched the lighter from his hand. He grabbed for it and stumbled, his feet incase in blocks of ice. Iceman grinned, freezing him to the ground. "Tough luck, Johnny," he said, turning to help the others.

Rogue felt like she would overflow with ability as she flicked on the lighter. A ball of flame gathered excitedly in her palm, the dancing fire drawing her eyes. She caught Cyclops's eye as he struggled against Umbra. "Move!" she cried. Cyclops ducked out of the way, but the semi-solid shadowman was taken by surprise. His firm parts burst into flame. He shrieked in pain and batted at the flames with insubstantial hands, but to no avail. Repulsed by what she had done, Rogue snuffed the flames and the mutant crashed, writhing, to the ground. He, like his sister, wouldn't be any more of a problem.

She turned, observing what still needed to be done. One of the Wolverines was clutching the other, who was bleeding profusely from a gash in his side. So the real Wolverine had Mystique under control. Pyro was still struggling in his icy prison, but in vain. Only Storm battled Magneto. _Fight fire with fire._

Rogue rushed forward, creating a magnetic field. "Storm! Get everyone out! I'll hold him off!" Storm looked at her and, realizing what had happened, dropped her arms. "Hurry," she replied, heading back towards the others. Rogue positioned herself in her place, raising her arms…

She was blown backwards as the identical poles made contact. Magneto collided with the wall with extreme force; Rogue was sent skidding out into the abyss. For one horrifying moment she hovered, time stretched into eternity. She saw Iceman reach out towards her, but she was too far away. Her yell echoed around the cavern as she plummeted into the darkness.

"Rogue!" cried Iceman, leaning over the edge of the pit. But there was no time to consider what had happened; they had to escape.

"Ice, come on!" said Cyclops, grabbing the boy around the shoulders. Iceman struggled against his grip, but the bigger man was stronger. "We've got to get out NOW!"

"But Rogue…"

A dark shape blurred past them from the chasm, rocketing back onto the platform. Rogue stumbled slightly, landing awkwardly on the steel. Iceman broke free of Cyclopes and ran to her, dragging her away from the gate. Two hovering robot drones had appeared in the doorway, cameras mounted their heads. A voice emanated from them, arrogant and spiteful. "Run, puny X-Men! Techno's coming for you!" They swooped low towards the retreating mutants.

Cyclopes covered their retreat as Wolverine scooped up the unconscious Morgan. Argus galloped after, glad to be leaving the Place Below.

They left the way they had come, rushing up a set of carved stone steps to the world above. The drones pursued them until Cyclopes blasted them out of the air. They ran up the ramp and into the SR-71. Storm collapsed into the pilots chair and took off, leaving the misty isle far behind.


	12. Chapter 11

**I don't own the X-Men, blahblahblah etc etc...I also don't own the song at the end, but I've cited that one down there. I do own Morgan, Argus, Umbra, Psyche, Techno, and this general story line. **

**Steal and die.**

* * *

_Two weeks later…_

Logan smile in spite of himself, taking a swig of beer as he watched the students splashing rambunctiously in the pool. Bobby and Rogue, tasked with keeping the younger children under control, sat at the edge of the pool, their feet dangling in the cool water. They sat apart, Rogue's short shorts and small shirt far too dangerous to provide adequate closeness. But they made due, laughing and talking to each other like normal teenagers. With the sun dangling just above the horizon, it was almost perfect. Still, he couldn't help feeling like something was missing. He gazed up at the pink-and-orange stained clouds and attempted to fathom what it could possibly be.

A dark figure flew just along the tree line, far too large to be a normal bird. It landed in the center of the hedge maze, the dying rays of the sun glinting off of its golden wings.

Ah.

He stood, brushing greasy crumbs of potato chip off of his t-shirt. "Goin' fer a walk," he muttered to Ororo and Scott, then sidled off into the dim garden. The other two teachers glanced at each other, but said nothing to him as they watched him disappear around the corner.

Logan quickened his pace as he left their sight, soon arriving at an unremarkable section of shrubbery. A large, scruffy gray dog pawed at it, whining. Switching his beer to his left hand, he reached into the bush with his right and turned the knob with a quiet _click._

Argus dashed into the hidden garden, followed more slowly by Logan, who closed the gate gently behind him. He gazed around, his dark eyes coming to rest on a huddled figure in a ripped navy blue t-shirt.

"Morgan?" he said softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. She flinched away from him, pulling her legs under her chin. "You all right?"

She was silent for a moment, watching the gleaming coy as they circled lazily in the pond. Argus curled up beneath the bench, sensing that now was not the time to be excited. Logan sighed and sat down next to her on the bench, sipping his drink. "You want some?" he blurted out, immediately wishing he hadn't.

She looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes. Yes I would." She took it from him and took a short pull, then returned it. He watched her for some sign of revulsion, but she only shrugged. "It's not the best, but I've had worse." Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow; he chuckled.

"You're something else, kid, I'll tell ya," he said, shaking his head. She shrugged again, returning her gaze to the sunlight dancing on the surface of the waterfall. Silence lapsed again between them but it was no longer uncomfortable and strained. He watched her, noticing the small things about her. She was barefoot, picking absently at her toenails. The dark bruises from the night in Magneto's compound were all but gone, as was the wary air of one gone astray. She brushed a lock of smoky hair out of her face, tucking it behind a small, slightly pointed ear. Her hazel eyes had nearly lost their haunted, suspicious look. There were premature lines around them, as well as small dark bags from lack of sleep. He had heard her wake screaming in the night, tormented by dreams. She had lain comatose in the infirmary for almost three days, Rogue and Bobby sitting at her bedside until someone made them go to class. When she awoke, she demanded to know exactly what had happened once she lost consciousness, but evaded all questions about what had happened in the compound before the X-Men arrived. She had spoken to no one about it, but the other younglings whispered about her when they thought she wasn't listening. They had a right to wonder. She was, indeed, something else.

"Do you know what it is like to fly?" she asked, breaking the stillness. He shrugged; she smiled.

"Come on, I'll show you."

He spit his mouthful of beverage onto the ground. "Do WHAT now?" She stood and dragged him to his feet with incredible strength. Her powers had grown the short time she had resided at the Institute; surrounded by so many different mutations, she only had to observe. She closed her eyes and a pair of golden wings sprouted from her back, the small t-shirt straining against them. She stood up on the bench and grasped him beneath the arms. Without warning, she rose into the air, the empty beer can tumbling back to the garden floor.

Logan gasped as the ground receded beneath him, Argus's surprised barks shattering the calm. Pressed against her thin body, his eyes widened in terror as she leveled off and swooped out across the grounds. He grabbed her wrists unnecessarily, his feet dangling uselessly beneath him. Her chest shook with laughter against his back. "Where are you taking me?" he cried as the wind whistled through his ears.

"Where do you want to go?"

The ground was his first thought, but the feel of the air rushing past him quickly dismissed that thought. He felt the elation of flight melt into his bones as they glided effortlessly above the towers of the Institute, spiraling around the highest points of the many-faceted roof. He let out a wild whoop of triumph as they passed over the pool area, drawing surprised stares from the small people below. Laughing, she dropped into a dive. He was totally unprepared, his proud hoot degenerating into a cry of terror. At the last second, she leveled her altitude and landed gently back in the garden, Argus barking wildly.

Logan collapsed to the ground, swearing. She smiled, breathing heavily, and sat back on the bench.

"I heard them over here!"

"You sure? That's a dead end!"

"I know I heard Logan, I could recognize that swearing anywhere."

Both of the mutants jerked around to look at the entrance, then back at each other.

"We'll have to go to them, I suppose."

"Yeah," he replied, standing and brushing the leaf litter off of his front. She stood, her bare feet padding across the smooth stones to the gate. She pressed her ear to the door listening.

"They're gone," she said softly, opening the door. Argus rushed out, yipping. Logan and Morgan hurried out, shutting the door behind them just in time.

"See I _told _you I heard something!" said Rogue as she and Bobby turned the corner. "Where were y'all? We've been callin' for you!"

"Got lost," they muttered in unison, fighting back smiles. Rogue glared at them, but gave up.

"Whatever you say. Hey Morgan, you wanna go swimming with us? The younger ones have to go get ready for bed, but Ororo said we could we could stay out a little longer if we wanted."

"I...I don't have a suit," said Morgan, taken aback. The trio hadn't talked much since the disastrous assault on Magneto's fortress. Scott had only recently recovered from the shock of seeing his old love; if Logan had been affected in the same way, he had hidden it behind his iron will. This invitation had come as something of a surprise.

Rogue looked her up and down critically. "I think I've got one that will fit you," she said, grabbing the younger girl's hand. "Come on!" Morgan glanced over her shoulder as she was dragged away, a small smile playing across her face.

Logan watched them go, a feeling of loss scratching at the back of his mind. That girl was truly remarkable. They all were.

Argus nudged his hand, whimpering. The two had become grudging allies as they waited for their Girl to recover. Logan smiled down at him and rumpled his fur.

"Come on, kid. Let's go inside."

_Don't you love the sound_

_Of the last laugh, my friend?_

_Don't you love the sound_

_Of the last laugh at the end?_

_Down in the gutter with a mad old soldier_

_Down in the scupper with a drunken sailor_

_Down in the gutter with a mad old soldier_

_But the last laugh, baby, is yours_

_And don't you love the sound_

_Of the last laugh going down?_

_Games you thought you'd learned_

_You neither lost nor won_

_Your dreams have crashed and burned_

_You still keep on keeping on_

_Out on the highway with the roadmen working_

_Up on the mountain with the cold wind blowing_

_Out on the highway with the roadmen working_

_But the last laugh baby is yours_

_And don't you love the sound_

_Of the last laugh going down?_

_They had you crying and you came up smiling_

_They had you crawling and you came up flying'_

_They had you crying and you came up smiling_

_And the last laugh, baby is yours_

_And don't you love the sound_

_Of the last laugh going down?_

_Well don't you love the sound_

_Of a last laugh going down?_

_"The Last Laugh"_

_From the album _Sailing to Philadelphia

_by Harvey Thompson/Jim Horn/Mark Knopfler/ Van Morrison/Wayne Jackson_

_FIN_


	13. Epilogue

**I don't...oh forget it. Read the other disclaimers.**

* * *

Johnny lay on the floor, shivering in his icy bonds. A pair of boots filled his vision, their shiny surface reflecting his bluing face.

"You let them escape," said the owner of the boots, pacing before him. His master was livid; Johnny had never seen him in such a rage. "We shall have to find a new place to stay. No doubt Charles will have his little X-Men crawling all over here by the end of the week." Magneto kicked him roughly, turning the boy onto his back. He glared down at his trembling pupil, his eyes blazing.

"Calm yourself, Eric,' Mystique purred, draping her arm across his shoulders. Her side was wrapped in white gauze, flecked with blood; Johnny had an absurd vision of the French flag before his eyes, but he shoved it away, fearing that he would laugh. "Concentrate your anger on the source: Xavier and his minions."

"You _dare_ to presume to tell me what to do?" he roared, throwing her from him. He fumed silently for a moment, tossing his red helmet to the ground. "But you are correct" he murmured. With a indifferent gesture, he drew a match from his pocket and struck it, tossing it to the ground. Johnny reached out for it hungrily, melting the ice. Anger surged within him when he remembered Rogue stealing his best Zippo. Coupled with the smirking face of his former friend, Johnny's fury grew.

_They will pay._

_

* * *

_

**At the end of all my fics (except one-shots) there'll be something like this. Just so you know. And can add other stuff, if you ask!**

**Things to watch for in the future:**

A Johnny/Morgan interest

Bobby and Morgan getting along better

Morgan and Logan becoming friends; I mean with names like that, how could they not?

More Proffessor action (not enough in this one)

More from Umbra, Psyche(not dead!), and Techno. Especially Techno.

More about the garden

See you next time, same X-time, same X-channel!

**Shameless Indorsment: **Please visit these fics:

Anything by "MoonstarleaderofWaveClan"

My Pirates of the Caribbean fic "Baladeers and Bucanneers" (though i think it's spelled wrong, so it may not come up on the search thingy)

anything by the wonderful people who sent me reviews!

Thanks to all y'all who replied!

Gatermage--good point. i mostly kept it the same for continuity's sake, but thanks for pointing that out. ((beats self with stick))

Windchill--ok, sure. just make sure you ask "officially" and all that silliness. I can't wait!

Maid of the Mer--muffin to you, too.


End file.
